Lakers' victory is the perfect ending to a wonderful day

By T.J. SIMERS

May 20, 2009 12 AM PT

The day just kept getting better and better.

It began with the puppy running outside all by himself and doing his business where he’s supposed to do his business. Who knew he’d be easier to train than the son-in-law?

Meanwhile, the tendon on my typing hand has been throbbing, pounding the Lakers on the keyboard as I have for the last few weeks, so it was going to be up to Dr. Thomas Parsa whether I could write anymore about the Lakers.

I know how much most of you were pulling for Dr. Parsa -- especially when he pulled out a needle the size of a spear.

The smile on Dr. Parsa’s face was a little disconcerting, but he’s got me typing again. You can just imagine how happy Phil Jackson must be.

Then the daughter calls, the baby inside of her -- or babies -- she says doing just fine, and G.P. can look forward now to buying lots more doughnuts for yet another grandkid or grandkids.

Hard to ruin a great day like this, so when I arrive at Staples Center, I decide not to ask Jackson any questions in the pregame news conference and make his day, too.

Jackson is so relieved, he briefly answers two questions from a Daily News reporter and then walks out of the room before I change my mind. We’re both loving this day.

Twenty-four years ago I’m here in L.A. at the Forum writing for the Rocky Mountain News about Denver’s last playoff win over the Lakers, obviously a fluke.

For the record the Rocky Mountain News goes out of business after I leave town, and here I am with the Lakers. The Nuggets don’t win NBA titles, so where else would you want to be?

And aren’t we all on our way to Cleveland?

OK, so Trevor Ariza turns the ball over early, but that’s just how the Lakers like to start these games. Ditto the air ball from Derek Fisher.

And another Fisher miss.

And another.

The Lakers are down by a bunch, but it’s an NBA game, and you know how they end.

Jackson replaces Kobe with Shannon Brown as the Lakers are getting shredded, down 27-17 in the first quarter. He then leaves Kobe on the bench to start the second.

Guess Jackson and I will be talking again after the game.

Luke Walton scores on a move to the basket and everyone on the Lakers bench jumps off the bench as if they’ve never seen such a thing -- except Kobe, who stays seated.

A few minutes later Walton hits a three from the corner, and understandably everyone in the arena jumps to their feet, including everyone on the Lakers bench -- except Kobe, who stays seated.

Maybe he’s tired, or not happy because he’s on the bench. Just “Kobe Doin’ Work,” I guess.

By the way, Kobe’s press agent, Spike Lee, is here, probably wondering now why he didn’t have his cameras follow Carmelo Anthony.

Now I’m really not sure what Jackson is doing, or Kobe for that matter, but Fisher hits a three at the first-half buzzer, so you just know it’s the Lakers’ night.

So why are they losing after three quarters? Why are the Nuggets up by seven with seven minutes to go? Why is Sasha still shooting?

Has Denver improved this much? Or, what’s happened to the best team in the West this postseason?

No worries, Jeanie Buss twittering to say, “Tweeples_feel like you are here with me. Love the support. KOBE!!”

And then a few minutes later, “Sun Yue sitting behind bench looking cute.”

Sure enough, tweeples, no sweat. Fisher hits another three, Ariza may start slow, but finishes strongly and the Lakers have this one won.

No way this day could end any other way.

WE LEARNED in Kobe’s interview with ESPN’s Doris Burke after the game that the turning point was when he told his teammates during a timeout, “This is a different series.”

No question, sometimes Kobe’s teammates are a little slow to catch on.

KOBE WAS on the court shooting by himself more than two hours before the game. Guess he heard what Jerry West had to say about LeBron.

IN THE past there has been some suspicion of cheating. But I noticed they didn’t go with the ping-pong balls this year in the NBA draft lottery, apparently just stacking the envelopes in the order they wanted before reading them off.

Now here’s a question. If the Clippers take Blake Griffin, will he have more wins with the Clippers during the 82-game season than he had his senior season at Oklahoma -- the Sooners going 30-6?

I ASKED Jeanie before the game if there’s any celebrity, after all these years, who still gets her excited when she hears they’re coming to a Lakers’ game.

She mentioned Rob Lowe, but when someone nearby said Justin Timberlake was going to be here, she screeched and almost came bouncing out of her seat.

Later she tweets, “Justin Timberlake is here, just waved and I think I melted.”

I’m sure Phil has the same effect on her.

EVERY RADIO channel seemed to have a commercial on, so I had no choice but to listen to 710, Steve Mason saying, “They’ve got ‘American Idol’ across the street and we get Dick Van Dyke [singing the national anthem at the Lakers’ game.]”

Keep in mind that Mason has sung the national anthem at independent league baseball games and the opening of bowling alleys, so obviously he’s angling for a Lakers invite.

I asked Tim Harris, the Lakers’ chief marketing officer, if Mason might sing the national anthem in Staples -- knowing Mason has a foot up on everyone because he works at the radio station that will be doing Lakers games next season.

“Mason?” Harris replied as if he had mistakenly heard me say Roseanne. “Noooo.”

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